Designer Dreams

Contemporary brand cultivated with the beauty of contradiction

Blythe Before Blair is described as a women’s contemporary brand cultivated with the beauty of contradiction in mind. Designer, Maddie Louviere, is a 2014 graduate from Louisiana State University with a bachelor’s degree in apparel design.

Now residing in Los Angeles and working in the fashion industry, the past couple of years have been completely “surreal” for Louviere who always dreamed of doing just that.

Growing up in New Iberia, LA fashion was a way for Louviere to be creative and different. Family influenced her fashion career from a young age when at just 6 years old her granny taught her how to sew.

Today, Louviere continues to gain influence from her family as her designs are inspired by the relationship she shares with her twin sister.

She said, “We are so different, but fit together perfectly. I like to include that harmony in my designs by mixing different design elements and contrasts. Like mixing hard and soft fabrics, or pairing ruffles with something structured. My design aesthetic is always evolving, but it always stays true to that balance of contrast.”

While Louviere has a great appreciation for luxury brands whose collections she considers truly an art, her heart is in designing ready to wear.

The Blythe Before Blair muse is best described by Louviere as, “Not a girl in particular, but more of how she carries herself. It is someone who is effortlessly cool and confident. She’s not afraid to mix masculine and feminine pieces. She’s casual, but always stands out.”

Louviere loves to incorporate Americana influences, and it has been something she is venturing into with her design process as well. A brand born out of a Louisiana girl’s love for fashion and her family Blythe Before Blair reflects the fun and fresh lifestyle of a Southern girl with California dreams.

All collections and garments are currently handmade, and every piece is one of a kind.

Website blythebeforeblair.com is always up-to-date with what she is currently working on, email inquiry for purchasing.

A native of Lafayette and student of fashion merchandising at ULL, Stacey Daley’s career encompasses stints in luxury branding, most notably in sales at the Tiffany & Co. flagship store on New York City's Fifth Avenue. She believes as her fashion icon Coco Chanel once noted, "Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street … fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, and what is happening."